Deere + Company

Terry L Lowe

James Thomas Noonan

David Carl Winter

Warren L Thompson

John D Long

Donald Thomas Sorlie

David H Bucher

Glenn Dale Head

Thomas C Jensen

Mark W Porter

Duane A Essex

Bierl James F

A tillage sweep assembly includes a base sweep with a central fore-and-aft slot. A support strap or stem includes a corresponding fore-and-aft extending protrusion which mates with the slot. A filet weld connects the top of the base sweep to the support strap with the weld extending around the strap. A plug weld is added to the underside of the sweep in an offset or lifted portion of the bottom of the base sweep above the cutting plane of the sweep. The extra plug weld adds strength to the existing filet weld joint and significantly reduces the chance of inadvertent base sweep loss. The location of the plug weld above the cutting plane protects the plug weld from wear. The strap or step of the sweep assembly is slotted for ease of pitch adjustment, and the base sweep has wings with substantial fore-and-aft extending end portions to retain working width over the life of the sweep.

Fin sweep assembly and method of manufacture

A tube clamp assembly is provided having a one-piece clamp or casting with four clamping and aligning lugs projecting from each side of the casting. The four lugs on the first side of the casting are symmetrically arranged at the corner of an imaginary square and have two sets of clamping and aligning surfaces that lie in planes perpendicular to each other. The surfaces are spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the faces of a first tube so that the casting can embrace the tube sides in either a first position or a second position rotated 90 degrees from the first position. On the second side of the casting, four lugs similar to the lugs on the first side project the opposite direction and also define two sets of clamping and aligning surfaces. The distance between the clamping and aligning surfaces varies on the second side so that when the casting is in the first rotated position on the first tube, a second tube of a preselected size can be accommodated between the surfaces at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the first tube. When the casting is in the second rotated position, another tube of size different from the preselected size can be accommodated perpendicular to the first tube.

Rotatable bracket for connecting tubes of differing cross section

A relatively short tunnel shield is connected to a light weight floating arm including a first tube telescopingly received within a second tube. Multiple holes in the double tube arm allow optimum positioning of the shield relative to a ground engaging element such as a single wide sweep to match different operating speeds without need of a longer and heavier shield. The second tube is pivotally connected to the rig by double plate mounting assembly to minimize side-to-side play. Slots in the double plate mounting assembly provide infinitely adjustable down stop for precision shield height control. The arm can be raised, and by installing a cross pin in the mounting assembly, the shield is maintained in a storage position out of the way of more mature crops.

Adjustable tunnel shield structure

A floating row crop cultivator rig is supported behind a rigid guide tire. A guide wheel standard straddles a bracket which mounts the forward end of a rig parallel bar linkage to a toolbar. A tool support depends from the aft end of the parallel bar linkage and carries a ground engaging element directly rearwardly of the guide tire. Instead of a conventional rig tire to control rig depth, an adjustable length member with a lost motion connection controls the lowermost position of the linkage and thus of the tool support while permitting upward movement of the linkage when an obstacle is encountered. A rod threaded through a trunnion on the tool support has a forward end supported in a slotted bracket on the lower bar of the parallel linkage to adjustably limit the lowermost position of the linkage while permitting the linkage to pivot upwardly against the bias of rig weight and an adjustable down pressure spring arrangement to clear obstacles. A spring trip standard may be supported by the tool support to additionally provide trip protection.

Adjustable guide rig structure for an agricultural implement

Tube mounted bracket structure for a toolbar or similar tube with a rectangular cross section includes a bracket having a tube abutting flange with an aperture offset from an elongated slot. A rotatable insert has an inwardly directed and elongated projection conforming to the shape of the elongated slot and an aperture located at one extremity of the projection. The aperture extends through the projection and through an integral washer portion which defines an enlarged shoulder area for contacting the tube abutting flange when the insert is positioned in the slot. The elongated projection generally fills the entire slot with the exception of the aperture, thereby presenting a relatively solid bolt receiving area for mounting a U-bolt or similar bolt structure. For a toolbar or tube having relatively large cross section, the insert is positioned in the slot to provide maximum offset from the flange aperture. If the bracket is attached to a toolbar or tube with smaller cross section, the insert is rotated 180 degrees from the position for the first cross section so the projection aperture is positioned to provide minimum offset from the flange aperture.

Mounting for agricultural toolbars and tubes of differing cross section

Down pressure structure for providing an adjustable down force on a rig of row crop implement such as a cultivator includes an overcenter toggle connected to the rig for pivoting about a toggle axis between a first and second positions. The toggle has a protrusion that contacts the edge of a rig plate at two different locations corresponding to a light and a heavy down pressure position. A down pressure spring is tensioned between the frame and the toggle and maintains the toggle in a selected one of two overcenter positions corresponding to the two different spring tension positions. A hex projection on the toggle receives a conventional wrench for moving the toggle between the first and second positions. A second toggle and down pressure spring combination provide additional spring adjustments so that at a numerous easily determinable down pressure settings are available.

Agricultural rig pressure adjustment with overcenter toggle

A series of notches are provided in the upright plates on one end of a parallel bar linkage connecting a cultivator rig or planter assembly to a tool bar. Coil springs are tensioned between the opposite end of the linkage and a rod and trunnion assembly that fits into the series of notches. The coil springs maintain the rod and trunnion in a selected set of notches. A handle on the rod allows the operator to walk the rod and trunnion assembly up and down the series of notches to select a different set of notches and thereby incrementally adjust the down pressure to a known value or setting. When the tool bar is raised to a transport position and the linkage pivots downwardly to a lowermost position, the spring is stretched only slightly so that down pressure adjustments can be made easily using only the handle on the rod.

Down pressure spring adjustment

A gauge wheel assembly includes a gauge wheel arm that straddles the rig tube and is supported on the tube by two bushings inserted through holes on either side of the tube. The bushings contact each other near the center of the tube to provide a solid or hard joint which permits the pivot bolt to be tightened without crushing the sides of the tube. The bushing has protrusions that are pressed into the tubing wall during installation and thereby prevent bushing rotation. Two different straps at the lower end of the wheel arm permits at least three different combinations of gauge wheels to be quickly and easily mounted. A compact and easily accessible depth adjusting crank is supported entirely above the rig tube. A depth indicator projects from the crank trunnion mounting on the upper end of the wheel arm to provide an indication of depth adjustment.

Gauge wheel mounting

Hitch ball assemblies for implement hitches are welded directly into holes formed in sidewalls of tubing ends which have been flattened to provide direct load transfer from the tubing to the implement frame. Several different flattened end cross-sectional configurations provide strong ball joint areas with a pleasing appearance. In one embodiment, an additional plate is supported between the sidewalls prior to flattening, and the hole is formed in the two sidewalls and the plate in the same hole-forming operation. The reduced number of hitch parts and welding steps decreases cost and dimensional variations.

Tubular hitch member ball connection for an implement

An improved disk harrow C-spring with a tapered cross section which reduces the compressive stresses in the inside radius and improves vertical and side-to-side flexibility. The curved portion of the C-spring has a constant cross section at the top and around three-fourths of the bend. At a location on the bend 45 degrees down from the horizontal, the thickness tapers to a location forward of the bearing hanger. The cross section is constant from the end of the taper to the end of the spring. The tapered cross section allows a thicker section to be used on the most highly stressed areas in the upper quadrant of the curved portion of the C-spring. The lower quadrant taper results in uniform stress distribution along the entire C-spring with the maximum compressive stress on the inside radius reduced substantially over a conventional C-spring. In addition, the tapered design provides an increase in both vertical and side-to-side flexibility for improved operation in rocky soil.

Tapered C-spring for a disk harrow

A flexible spike-tooth harrow having a plurality of tooth-supporting angles spaced fore-and-aft by connecting structure including reversible link straps having opposed edge surfaces on one end thereof tapered with respect to the axis of the strap at differing angles. A selected one of the edges is positioned against the top side of the angle to maintain the spikes in a preselected working attitude. By simply reversing the strap with respect to its longitudinal axis, the working angle of the spikes can be changed.

Harrow with link having spike support attitude control

A spray cart which straddles a trailing implement hitch and supports a tank on two castering wheels and on the tractor hitch. The caster wheels have adjustable tread, and the caster wheel support structure provides additional strength to the tank support frame. A stabilizer bar is connected between the cart and the trailing implement to make them operate as a single unit. The cart serves to closely connect the trailing implement and the tractor and provide straight-line pull through the system.

Implement cart

A twisted shovel, for a chisel plow or similar implement, having a concave twisted surface. The concave surface maintains soil flow in the desired path as the shovel is moved forwardly through the soil. The soil displaced by the shovel is directed more effectively by the concave surface to one side of the shank to improve crop residue flow and incorporation, and the concave shape significantly improves the bending strength of the shovel over that of flat-twisted shovels of comparable width and thickness.

Shovel with soil directing structure

A crop deflection mechanism, interconnected to and actuated by the movement of a stack-forming implement compressor roof, the mechanism including a rockable deflector mounted in the delivery tube means, a spring-biasing and stop means for controlling the arc through which the deflector rotates, a cable linkage means interconnecting the deflector to the compressor roof lift mechanism, to cause the deflector to rotate in direct response to the initial cycle movement of the compressor roof.

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Ankeny, IA, United States of America

Terry L Lowe